One of the most storied weekends on the competitive cannabis circuit, the High Times Northern California Cannabis Cup has been used as a proving ground for the world’s best cultivators since its inception in San Francisco at the beginning of the decade. That first year, a version of Subcool’s Vortex took home top honors.
These days, it serves as a must-hit weekend for the world’s best cultivators not long after the outdoor planting season. The artisan growers that have spent decades producing some of the finest marijuana on the planet in The Emerald Triangle pack up their trucks, and head south to wine country. On arrival at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, arguably the global epicenter for elite cannabis competitions, the competitors will check out the competition and gauge the trends of the moment like Tangie in 2016 or Purple Punch last year. This year they will also be greeted by the biggest music lineup in the event’s history. Phil Lesh and Friends anchor a stacked line up that will include Blues Traveler, G. Love & Special Sauce, and Arrested Development.
Companies
Here are some booths that will be an early must-stop for anyone with a clue… in other words, get there quickly, before they sell out.
Alien Labs
Since they won their first NorCal Cup in 2015, Alien Labs exploded onto the NorCal scene with some of the best versions of the hottest strains on the planet. Last month they swept all the flower categories at the inaugural Central Valley Cannabis Cup and sold their entire stock rapidly on Day One, but were kind enough to do a special drop of their Gelato #41 for the Day Two crowds. Keep an eye out for their